Freezeout Redwoods Preserve

Property Type

Ecological Preserve

Acreage

89.0 acres (declared)

Region

Russian River Watershed

Date Protected

1992

Habitat

Sensitive

Access

By Permission Only

Protecting a Redwood Forest

John Steinbeck once described redwoods as “not like any trees we know; they are ambassadors from another time.”

The giant and ancient redwoods of California have captivated humans as long as we have lived here. As Steinbeck writes, they are like ambassadors from another time, almost primordial in their existence with a lifespan averaging 2,000 years or more. According to Save the Redwoods League, only five percent of the original old-growth coast redwood forest endures, leaving most of the remaining redwood acreage across the state comprised of second- and third-growth trees. With our redwood forests both younger and dwindling, it is vital that we protect their ecosystems.

In 1992, we purchased an 89-acre property near Duncans Mills, now named Freezeout Redwoods, to protect valuable redwood and riparian habitat. Located along the Russian River, this property was sold to us with the intention of sparing this unique piece of land from future logging, subdivision, or development. The purchase was made possible thanks to longtime philanthropist and environmentalist Iva Warner, who donated her Santa Rosa home to Sonoma Land Trust in 1989, allowing us to use the proceeds to then purchase Freezeout Redwoods.

In addition to protecting the second-growth redwoods and Douglas fir, the native streamside trees and shrubs here will forever provide cover for songbirds, raptors, terrestrial animals, and aquatic wildlife.